Seahawks Lineman Out for Opener?

The Seahhawks are expected to be without receivers Bobby Engram and Deion Branch for the season opener against the Bills. Today, word comes that they may also be without starting right tackle Sean Locklear. He's got a sprained knee. Coach Mike Holmgren says Locklear is out 2 weeks, and could miss the opener on September 7th. He's hopeful, but says its a close call. Locklear was hurt in this weekend's preseason game against Chicago.
As I said when news of the receiver injuries hit, maybe the injury gods have moved on from Buffalo and taken up residence in the Northwest.

Taking Nothing for Granted

So much of training camp reporting deals with rookies, and the new free agents on the roster. You can sometimes overlook the work that experienced, veteran starters put in, just to keep their jobs and excel.
For example, today I watched both starting cornerbacks, Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer,work after practice for about 30-minutes. They ran through conditioning drills and technique exercises long after their teammates ended the 2-hour afternoon workout.
I asked McGee about it later on. Keep in mind, he's solidly entrenched as the starting CB, and he's been to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist. Terrence said he and Greer started this practice last year during the season, working two or three days a week after practice, just tuning up and keeping focused on their jobs.
It's impressive, to say the least. I think it's that kind of work ethic that separates veterans who excel in the NFL from those just hanging on to their jobs. It's important to keep an eye on those veterans at camp, along with the rookies and new faces.

A Lot to Choose From at WR

Now that Josh Reed is back practicing, it struck me watching practice today what a diverse group of wide receivers the Bills have in camp. It's a good thing--a mix of targets for Trent Edwards with various skills and sizes.
Think about it--you've got Lee Evans, the all-around guy with speed, route running ability, and good hands. You've got Josh Reed the ultimate possession receiver and strong blocker for the running game. Add in James Hardy, the big red-zone target who's probably going to be used as a situational WR this year. And, of course, Roscoe Parrish, the waterbug wideout who cannot be stopped in the open field. The top four receivers provide a mixture of size and skill that Trent Edwards says is critical. Edwards told me today he gets a chance to put Hardy and Evans outside, work Roscoe and Reed inside, and then split Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson out wide, to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Turf Wars

Hello, pot. This is the kettle. You're black. That's what I thought of when I heard the Steelers complaining about the turf in the Rogers Centre. The same Steelers who's grass at Heinz Field is just about the worst in the NFL. Remember the Monday Night game played in the mud bog against the Dolphins? Remember the team's decision to NOT replace that cow pasture with a synthetic surface like Fieldturf? It'll be grass again this season. Can't wait for those November games when Ben Roethlisberger will have to be listed 2 inches shorter because his feet have sunk in to the mud.
Granted, the turf in the Rogers Centre is unlike any other in the NFL. Because they play baseball on it, its a much lower blade of synthetic grass. Because it gets removed, it was a bit matted down and there were more seams than a normal NFL field. But no one appeared to trip, stumble or was injured during the preseason game. It actually might make the players faster, because its easier to cut on.
But Roethlisberger and Leftwich should have kept quiet. After all, its the Dolphins problem now.

Position Switch for Corto

It's worth keeping an eye on, in the last few days of training camp. Free agent Jon Corto has been moved to outside linebacker from strong safety, a position switch that occured in the middle of last week.
Corto was impressive last Thursday at his new/old position. He played linebacker in college, at Sacred Heart. With injuries to the LB corps, the Bills felt the need to move Corto back to OLB for awhile. He seemed to thrive at the position, making several tackles on defense. He also got a look at the gunner spot on punt team. In all, Corto looks to be filling the shoes of Coy Wire who was not re-signed by the Bills, and it just could be his ticket onto the roster.
The Orchard Park native told me he feels much more comfortable at LB, and he thinks he can make more plays from that spot. It will be interesting to see if the Bills keep him there through the rest of the preseason, and to see if can mount a challenge for a roster spot.
Corto is our guest tonight at 6:45pm on News 4 at Six, live from Training Camp.

Hamdan's Role

The typical job description for a third string quarterback in the NFL? Hold a clipboard on the sidelines, take a few snaps at the end of practice, and don't cause any problems. The Bills Gibran Hamdan does all of that, and he does it with good humor and perspective.
But Hamdan also provides a key role as Trent Edwards primary counselor and sounding board. Edwards freely admits that he counts on Hamdan as an extra set of eyes during practice and games, and a source of information during QB meetings. Even though Hamdan only has two more years of experience than Edwards, he has experience in different offensive systems and with different coaches and teammates. It's clear that Edwards leans on Hamdan for advice and support, even though Hamdan tries to downplay how much he helps the starting QB.
Hamdan has an interesting life story, growing up in California, moving to Kuwait at an early age, and watching his family victimized by some of the violence and upheaval in that turbulent part of the world.
He adds a lot to the Bills mix at quarterback, and the coaching staff considers him an important piece of the puzzle.

Reinforcements for Offensive Tackle?

Matt Murphy is hurt, so is Patrick Estes, and Jason Peters is nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, the Bills have a serious depth problem at Offensive Tackle. Murphy has a shoulder injury, and we saw him walking around camp today with his arm in a sling. Dick Jauron had very little in the way of an update on Murphy's injury, or how long he might be out. Patrick Estes, the free agent from Virginia, was on the sidelines with his left leg wrapped up, and there's no word on how much time he might miss. And, of course, Jason Peters is still holding out.
Dick Jauron seemed to indicate today that it would be nearly impossible to bring in a backup tackle to help in this Thursday's game in Toronto. But late in the day, we spotted Bills personnel officials putting a potential roster candidate through a workout, so stay tuned.

Spikes Signs with Niners

Former Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes (picture-right-2006) has signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Spikes has been without a team since being released by the Eagles. That means he'll return to Buffalo for the Niners visit on November 30. Spikes will step right into the lineup and start at inside linebacker, next to last year's outstanding rookie Patrick Willis. Takeo had a good, but unspectacular season last year in Philly. He's a savy vet, a good team leader and a smart player. But since he injured his Achilles tendon in Buffalo in 2005, he has never again been the same active, fast, dominating linebacker he once was.

Seahawks Wideout Will Miss Bills Game

Seattle Seahawks leading receiver Bobby Engram (picture-right) has a broken bone in his shoulder. He will miss 6-8 weeks, and that includes the season opener against the Bills on September 7. Engram is coming off a 94 catch season. He isn't the only Seattle wideout with injury problems. Deion Branch still hasn't practiced this season. He's on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury. The team is hoping to have him back for the Bills game, but its not certain. That could leave the Seahawks with only one regular receiver, Nate Burleson. That should severely hinder Seattle's passing game, a big advantage for the Bills. Maybe the injury gods that struck down on the Bills last year, have moved on to another NFL city.

Favre Trade Shakes Up AFC East

The Jets trade for Brett Favre shakes up the AFC East. The Jets figured to be

better than last year's 4-12 record. They spent $140 million on free agents, but still had a question at quarterback. The don't have as big a question now. I don't
agree with the immediate reaction that the Jets are a playoff team. That means the Jets will be 6 wins better. Not likely. They still have too many questions, and some of them related to Favre. Can he still do it at 39 years old? I know he did last year, but when you hit that age, each year is an unknown. The Jets are not strong at receiver. Their line is better with Alan Faneca, but not great. How quickly will Favre get comfortable in offense?
But now matter how many they win, the trade effects the Bills because the Jets ARE better. That means beating them twice like last year won't be as easy. I still think the Bills are the 2nd best AFC East team, but the gap isn't as wide as it was on Wednesday. Maybe it helps the Bills obecause hopefully Favre can figure out a way to knock off the Patriots.
Bottom line, Favre is an upgrade over Pennington/Clemens, and anything that makes a divisional opponent better is a concern for the Bills.

Youboty Steps Up

There may not be a veteran more "on the bubble" than 3rd year cornerback Ashton Youboty. This week, he's steppping up to the challenge. He's had interceptions on each of the last two practice days, along with a few nice defensive plays. Youboty still faces an uphill challenge, with 5 other cornerbacks currently ahead of him on the depth chart. It probably wasn't a good sign that the Bills drafted 3 corners and also signed veteran Will James this offseason. I asked Youboty about that challenge, and he completely downplayed any concerns about his future. He said the coaches know who can play, and that he won't worry about things he can't control. A former 3rd round pick from Ohio State, Youboty's rookie season was basically wiped out when his mother's death caused him to miss almost all of training camp. Last year, he started a few games when Jason Webster was hurt. Then, he was hurt and Jabari Greer took his spot for good. Greer continues to start, first round pick Leodis McKelvin looks good and 4th rounder Reggie Corner is the surprise rookie of camp. So the challenge remains a big one for Youboty, but he's making any decisions tough ones for the coaches.
(photo courtesy Buffalo Bills)

Unexpected Position Battle

I think most Bills fans expected that Robert Royal would be the Bills starting tight end, despite offseason knee surgery. But since training camp has started, Royal's in a battle for his job with 2nd year man Derek Schoumann. He used the offseason to get Royal's reps, impress the coaches and develop a rhythm with Trent Edwards. On the first two-deep of the season, Schoumann and Royal are listed as co-starters.

While Schoumann brings more speed and more receiving ability, Royal is a veteran and a much better blocker. Maybe the coaches wanted the veteran pushed, or maybe they're just waiting to Royal to regain his regular season form. But the battle bears watching through the preseason. Edwards likes to throw to the tight end. Last year, Royal and Michael Gaines caught 50 passes, the most by Bills tight ends in over 10 years. His quick-passing style cries out for a valuable weapon at the position.

The position battle my be decided by...Jason Peters. If he continues his holdout, the Bills will need blocking help from the tight end. That suits Royal. If he comes back and the tight ends aren't required to stay in a block as much, then Schoumann may have the advantage. We'll keep watching this unexpected position battle.

Spragan On the Field

The Bills new linebacker, Donnie Spragan, was on the field with his teammates for the first time this morning. The club signed Spragan early Saturday, after rookie linebacker Alvin Bowen left camp with a severe knee injury.
Spragan got in some extra work with the linebacking corps and his position coach Matt Sheldon after this morning's walk-through. He looks fit and ready to go. Spragan says he's been working out and lifting weights at his home in Oakland, but this is the first football work he's done since last year.
Spragan could be a good pick up for the Bills. He's an experienced hand, and he knows his way around the AFC East. Look for him to contribute on special teams right away and provide valuable backup depth at linebacker.
We'll hear more from Spragan tonight on News 4 at 5pm and 6pm. At 5, we also pose four (more like 5-or 6) questions to Bills Quarterbacks Coach Alex Van Pelt. And at 6, we go one on one with Bills guard Derrick Dockery.

Stroud's Revenge

I had a chance to talk to Marcus Stroud the other day. He's a personable, fun-loving guy and a good interview. But as hard as I tried, I couldn't get him to bite on the question of his inspiration for this season. The Jaguars basically wrote him off when they traded him to the Bills. They said he was done, and he would never return to his Pro Bowl form. I asked Marcus if that inspired him, and he just said he's happy to be where he's wanted. I asked him about the Jaguars, and he repeated the same answer. He did it with a smile, which tells me he's keeping his real motivation quiet. I can't wait to see him play in week 2 against his old team. I think we'll know all about his motivation in that game.

Through the first week of camp, Stroud looks great. He's big, athletic, active and making the kid of plays you don't often notice from a defensive tackle. If you attend any training camp practices, I suggest you keep your eyes on number 99.

Rookie LB Out for Season

Rookie linebacker Alvin Bowen is out for the season, suffering the first serious injury of Bills Training Camp. Bowen was coming up to tackle fullback Jonathan Evans, after he caught a swing pass from J.P. Losman. As Evans cut back toward the middle of the field, Bowen cut with him and had his knee buckle. He went down in obvious pain, and was quickly met by the trainers and team doctors. He was carted off the field, and will likely face surgery in the next few days. Dick Jauron confirmed that the injury is severe.

Rebound Tonight for Offense?

It's way too early to panic, but it would be nice to see the Bills offense look sharp tonight, in front of the night-time audience. They've struggled this week, most notably Tuesday night in the first night time workout of the camp.
I know Trent Edwards is looking for a bounce-back performance. We spoke to him yesterday about the offensive struggles, and he seemed to indicate that he's getting a bit frustrated.
Edwards does not lack confidence, but he would benefit from hitting a couple of tough passes tonight, and from the rest of his teammates on offense making plays. We're just nine days away from the first preseason game, and Edwards is not likely to get extensive playing time at Washington. So a solid practice performance tonight and in the days ahead would make everyone feel better about the direction of the offensive unit.
We'll let you know how it goes. We'll have highlights from tonight's prime time practice on News 4 at 11.

A Long Night for Trent

I talked with QB Trent Edwards today about last night's practice, and the rough night for the offense.
"Are you reading my mind?" Edwards asked me, when I inquired about whether he agonizes over a tough night on his side of the ball. The Bills QB admitted he was not happy with his performance, or the performance of the offense overall in Tuesday night's prime time practice. He said he spent some time late last night re-living the experience, going back over his playbook and trying to figure out what went wrong.
He also said you walk a fine line between worrying and fretting about poor practice performances, and shaking it off and moving ahead. One of the best qualities a quarterback can have, is the ability to forget about mistakes and move forward. Jim Kelly was great at this, as evidenced by his memorable Monday Night performance against the Bengals, when he threw four first half interceptions before leading his team to victory in the second half.
Learning from mistakes, and then learning to forget about them and move on. It's all part of the education of a young NFL quarterback.

No Peters Progress-Walker at LT

The Bills are becomingly increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on Jason Peters'holdout. He's missed the first six days of training camp, and so far there's no end in sight for his holdout.
Bills sources tell me they really havent had much contact at all with Peters, or his agent, Eugene Parker of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. They are baffled by Peters refusal to discuss his contract issues, and unsure of how to proceed.
So one week into camp, the club has decided to move veteran Langston Walker from the right tackle position, over to left tackle. Walker is a seven year NFL veteran who playted an entire season at LT for Oakland in 2004.
He told us today he's getting used to the footwork and other adjustments associated with moving to the left side, and he's ready to play there as long as he's needed.
Tune in to News 4 Sports live from Training Camp tonight at 5pm and 6pm, to hear what Offensive Line Coach Sean Kugler says about Walker's move to the right side.

Greer in a Battle

Jabari Greer is in for the fight of his football life. After three years as a backup, the undrafted free agent finally got his chance...starting 13 games in 2007 after Jason Webster was hurt. Greer struggled in some games, especially against the Patriots. But he also played well, especially against Terrell Owens and the Cowboys. But he might not have played well enough, because the Bills drafted Leodis McKelvin in the first round...signed veteran Will James and drafted two more corners. So instead of fighting for a spot, Greer is fighting to keep his spot. He welcomes the challenge, because it brings out his best. When I told Jabari that last year, he "made it," I was quickly corrected. He takes nothing for granted, and he's smart enough to know there's a reason for the added competition. Despite what some fans might think, he is doing his best to help McKelvin, even if it costs him his starting spot. Veterans helped him when he was a rookie, and its NFL protocol to pass that along. Keep an eye out for the battle at right corner. It should heat up when McKelvin gets more comfortable. It seems likely that the first round pick will take over, but Greer won't make it easy. That should make everyone better.

Early QB Update

It's only been five official training camp practices, but it may be time for an update on Trent Edwards by now. He looks very strong. His 15-20lb weight gain has been well documented, but there's more to it than just a weight gain by the 2nd year QB.
Edwards looks finished and polished in the early going. His arm strength looks improved, and it's especially evident on the deep outs. Last year, he seemed to struggle throwing the deep out routes and actually had a few of them picked off (vs. Dallas, Monday Night Football). It makes sense that his arm would be strong just five practices into camp, and it remains to be seen how well it holds up. But like a pitcher with "good stuff", Edwards has a live arm right now and it's been fun to watch.
I wish I could say the same about JP Losman. The veteran has looked a bit sluggish so far in the training camp workouts. Losman possesses a strong arm and he loves to throw it deep, but that hasn't happened much so far in this camp. It's hard to imagine Gibran Hamdan pushing Losman for the number two QB spot, but JP definitely needs to step up his play.
And again, it's only five practices.

Heavy Hitters-Heavy Hitting

It was an eventful day at Bills training camp, the first day of workouts in pads. But even before practice, there were some heavy hitters on the sideline.
US Senator Charles Schumer joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a meeting with Bills owner Ralph Wilson early this morining at St. John Fisher College.The three men discussed the future of the franchise in Buffalo, with Schumer and Goodell expressing optimism about that future. Schumer says the Bills recent Toronto initative has been a success already, in both Toronto and Buffalo. He would not say whether the three men talked about a succession plan for ownership of the franchise, once Mr. Wilson is gone from the scene. According to Schumer, discussion of succession would be counter productive.
Goodell revealed that the NFL will not issue any fines or suspensions for Bills RB Marshawn Lynch, as a result of his guilty plea to a traffic violation last month. Lynch was charged in a hit and run accident on May 31st in Buffalo. The commissioner says since legally his case ended up as a traffic violation, it does not fall under the purview of the league's personal conduct policy. He also said he had a discussion with Lynch about the charges, and he says the Bills RB "understands his responsibilities as a player."
The fact that Lynch will not be sanctioned should not come as a surprise. In the eyes of the law, his offense was relatively minor. Obviously, there was much more to it, however, and having talked about player conduct issues with Goodell a month ago, I'm sure Lynch is on a short leash when it comes to conduct transgressions. Goodell believes very strongly that repeat offenders of the league's conduct policy will be dealt with harshly.
As for practice, it was the first in full pads for the football team, and it looks like the defense couldn't wait. There were several hard hits by defenders, both first and second teams,and the defense clearly had the better day. Dick Jauron said after the workout that's typically the way it goes--one side of the ball looks better than the other.
The Bills hustled inside shortly before 1pm, cutting their team work short by about nine plays. The reason?? The threat of lightning nearby. Bills trainers have special lightning sensor on their person during practice, and once the sensor showed a lightning hit 3-8 miles away, the Bills moved inside to St. John Fisher's gym to finish off practice.
Tomorrow, it's the first prime time practice for the football team. Jauron and his players are already getting excited about the night time workout. It starts at 7pm, and admission is by ticket only. All the tickets for tomorrow night's workout have already been distributed.

The King of Holdouts

Sports Agent Eugene Parker is the "King of Holdouts." He represents Jason Peters and the Rams Steven Jackson. Both are skipping training camps, hoping to get new contracts. Parker also is the agent for the Bears Devin Hester, who held out for 2 days before signing a new 4 year contract today. Recently, holdouts have been rare. Terell Owens sat during camp when he was still with the Eagles. But most players either show up to get new deals, or get traded during the offseason when their unhappiness surfaces. Shoot, for all his threats, loudmouth Bengal Chad Johnson even showed up on time.
Clearly, Parker believes in the leverage that a holdout brings the player. The question is, what's the end game? As it relates to Peters, is Jason just trying to skip workouts? Is he trying to get out of Buffalo? The Bills have made it clear that they're willing to talk, but only when Peters comes to camp. The Rams said the same thing to Jackson.
Peters still has 3 years left on a contract he signed in 2006, before he moved to left tackle and became a Pro Bowler. What do you think Eugene is after?

Bills Sign McKelvin

Late Saturday afternoon, the Bills announced the signing of first round pick Leodis McKelvin. He gets a reported five year deal. His signing leaves only three other first round picks without contracts. McKelvin is expected to arrive at Camp in Pittsford in time for Sunday's meetings and the late afternoon walkthrough. In all, his brief two day absence cost him four practice sessions.

No money details have been announced, but its expected to pay him around $18 million dollars. The draft pick before McKelvin, LB Jerrod Mayo, received $18.9 million from the Patriots. The pick after, OT Ryan Clady, got $17.5 million from the Broncos. Now it will be interesting to see how quickly McKelvin can push Jabari Greer and William James for the starting spot opposite of Terrence McGee. James appears posititioned for the slot/3rd corner position, so the battle may be against Greer. McKelvin will also have to fight McGee and Roscoe Parrish for time on kick and punt returns. At Troy University, Leodis tied an NCAA record with 7 returns for TD's.

Afternoon Highlights from Bills Camp

There were several spectacular highlights from the afternoon workout at Bills Training Camp, and the Bills managed to get it in without getting wet. Raindrops fell for a few brief seconds, and there was a distant rumble of thunder, but not enough to disrupt the workout. The biggest crowd of the training camp so far enjoyed a pretty good show inside Growney Stadium.
In 7-on-7 work, JP Losman made a deep pass down the right sideline to rookie Steve Johnson. He made a spectacular leaping grab in traffic for a big play. Johnson had a good spring minicamp for the Bills, and he has already started to make plays here in this camp. He's a 7th round draft pick from Kentucky.
In team work, there were two huge plays. One was a leaping sideline grab by backup running back Fred Jackson. I'm not sure if he got both feet down inbounds, but instant replay is not in use at camp (thankfully) so we'll consider it a legal catch.
Safety George Wilson made an acrobatic interception deep downfield later on in team work. He showed flashes of his previous incarnation as a receiver, when he went high up and came down with the ball. Wilson is one of the Bills I always find myself rooting for.
I had a chance to sit down and talk with Wilson for a piece we'll air next Monday on News 4. We talked about his interception for a TD vs. Dallas on Monday Night Football last year, about how there's no more talk about his difficult transition from WR to Safety, and about all the charitable work he did this past offseason. Look for on our "Four Questions" segment next Monday on News 4 at Five.

Day Two Practice Notes

The Bills managed to stay dry this morning, in their second day of training camp workouts. Let's see if they can dodge the rain this afternoon. I ran into Head Coach Dick Jauron around 12noon, as he headed back to the gym/training complex at St. John Fisher College. It was raining then, and Jauron told me he was going to check with the trainers regarding the weather forecast for this afternoon. The Bills keep pretty close tabs on the weather prior to each practice, especially as it relates to temperature and humidity.
***
Free agent signee William James had an outstanding practice session this morning. He broke up several passes, came up with an interception, and dished out a couple of big hits. Jabari Greer is working with the first unit, while James comes on for the nickel. But I expect James, in his eighth year in the league, to get plenty of reps in the preseason, especially with Leodis McKelvin still out. James provides size and experience that the Bills lack in their defensive backfield.
*****
Former Bills cornerback Jeff Burris is at training camp for a couple of weeks, as part of the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship program. Burris still lives in Indianapolis, and he spent last year as an assistant coach at a high school there. He's working with the Bills defensive backs and special teamers in this camp. Burris played for current Bills defensive backs coach George Catavolous while they were both with the Colts in the late 1990s. He worked with me as the sideline reporter on the Bills Radio Network in 2005.
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The Bills will work out in full pads Monday, for the first time in this training camp. They've eased into the workload these first few days, and tomorrow they have just a walk through (closed to the public). Monday, they'll pad up and probably have their first real session involving the run game.

Day 1 Training Camp Notes

*Bills COO Russ Brandon told John Murphy that the team will not negotiate with Jason Peters until the Pro Bowl left tackle shows up at training camp. Peters is officially a holdout after skipping the two Friday workouts. He has three years remaining on a deal signed before he moved to left tackle, and before he became one of the league's best left tackles. Brandon says the team is willing to talk, but will not set the precedent of negotiating with a holdout. Peters' agent is Eugene Parker, who is also keeping client Steven Jackson out of the Rams camp.

*Brandon also told Muph that talks with first round pick Leodis McKelvin are progressing, and the rookie cornerback should be signed in practicing by the end of the weekend.

*Lee Evans told reporters that talks are progressing on a new contract, and he seemed encouraged that a new deal could be done by the start of the season. Evans will be a free agent at the end of the 2008 season.

*Interesting transaction, I think. The Saints cut tight end Eric Johnson. The trade for Jeremy Shockey made Johnson expendable. He's a veteran, pass-catching tight end. I think he'd be a good option for the Bills offense, and a solid veteran backup to Robert Royal. We'll see.

Three Men Out

Buffalo Bills camp officially began today with a morning workout at Growney Stadium, on the St. John Fisher College campus. It was a perfect summer day, with the temperature in the mid-70s. The crowd on hand was relatively small, and the attendance on the field was a little light, also.
Bills 1st round draft pick Leodis McKelvin is still unsigned, and was not at the morning workout. Head Coach Dick Jauron hinted that McKelvin's contract could be done soon, so I wouldn't expect him to miss too many more practices.
Starting Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams was excused from today's practices. His wife gave birth to their second child yesterday. Williams is expected to be here for tomorrow's practices.
The main missing man is, of course, left tackle Jason Peters. I'm not sure he's getting great advice, but apparently he's going to hold out in an effort to get a new contract. The Bills made it pretty clear yesterday that they're willing to talk about a new deal for Peters, once he shows up. I know he would lose some leverage by coming to camp, but all he has to do is look around at Aaron Schobel, Brad Butler, Terrence McGee and others for evidence that the Bills will tear up an old deal and renegotiate, if a player outperforms his contract. Even Lee Evans, in the final year of his deal, is at training camp. In fact, Evans told us today he's closing in on a new contract extension with the Bills, things are progressing very well. The point is, if you show up for the workouts, the Bills are much more inclined to extend your deal. Someone should get on the phone with Peters and clue him in.

COO Brandon to Speak Thursday

Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon will meet with the media at 4:30pm on Thursday, the reporting day for players at Bills Training Camp. He'll address the Jason Peters situation, which by then, we should know if Peters is attending camp and not holding out. I'm sure he'll also address the Lee Evans contract issues, and likely make his first public comments on Marshawn Lynch's offseason adventures. We'll have the latest word from the Bills Boss during our first day of live reports from Camp on News 4 at 5 and News 4 at 6.
We'll also get the news up quickly here on the Training Camp Blog.

Camp is Calling

It starts tomorrow, the four week extravaganza known as Bills Training Camp. Players are scheduled to report to St. John Fisher College in Pittsford by 7pm tomorrow night. And it's an important camp for the Bills, with several questions on the agenda.
For example--will Jason Peters show up for training camp? The Pro Bowl left tackle missed the mandatory minicamp last month, apparently to protest the lack of progress on a new contract. Peters hasn't commented publicly at all about his deal, and attempts to reach his agent this week failed. He would be wise to show up at camp, work as hard as he can, and let his agent and the Bills hammer out an extension. Peters certainly warrants a reneogitation, he has outpeformed his deal even though he has three years left to run on the contract. But Bills sources tell me he damaged his abililty to get a new contract by skipping the mandatory minicamp. He would probably help his cause immensely by showing up tomorrow and practicing.
As of this writing, the Bills have four unsigned draft picks remaining. I expect a flurry of signings to be announced tomorrow, although I'm not sure the top two picks, CB Leodis McKelvin, and second rounder James Hardy will be among them.
Paul Peck and I will be blogging regularly from Bills training camp, and we'll have live reports from the News 4 Sports Team at 5pm and 6pm every night of camp.